Communications breakdown fuels cable TV dispute
McALLEN – As Time Warner Cable and the city hurtle toward a showdown over the communication giant’s plan to digitize two public TV channels, both sides appear to be talking far more than they listen.
Each camp has consulted lawyers and fired off official statements, but they haven’t talked face-to-face. If the dispute lands in federal court, they’re unlikely to speak outside it.
Time Warner wants to start distributing MCN12 and other public, educational and government channels across Texas using a digital signal. The switch would free space on Time Warner’s network for new HD channels and other services.
But eliminating analog signals would require owners of older TVs to install a converter box capable of deciphering the new digital signal by Oct 1.
McAllen fears the price of converter box, and to some degree the hassle of acquiring one, might hamper the public’s ability to watch MCN12. They also question whether hospitals, schools and other buildings with many older TVs would receive enough free converters for every television.
Time Warner will give away the converter boxes, at least initially. Basic cable customers will receive a converter without charge for five years, and standard cable customers will receive a converter free for a year. After that, standard customers will pay $7.95 per month for the converter. Time Warner hasn’t decided whether or how much to charge the basic customers after the first five years.
Time Warner and other cable operators have been trying to phase out analog signals, which use far more bandwidth than their digital cousins. Up to 15 digital channels would fit into the space occupied by MCN12’s analog signal. Switching MCN12 to digital would allow Time Warner to offer MCN12, and the new channels, using the same space.
Communication between McAllen and Time Warner appears to have broken down.
For example, McAllen’s city attorney said Monday that it’s not clear whether MCN12 will remain on Channel 12 after the switch.
"We're MCN12, so if we're not on 12, that's a problem,” said Kevin Pagan, the city attorney. But a Time Warner official told The Monitor more than a week ago that MCN12 will remain on Channel 12.
McAllen also sent a stern letter to Time Warner on July 16, complaining “some subscribers will have to pay $40 as an installation fee just to continue receiving (public, educational and government) programming.”
Time Warner will charge customers $39 if an employee needs to install the converter box for a customer, said Jon Gary Herrera, Time Warner’s Texas regional vice president for communications. Anyone able to connect a DVD player to a TV shouldn’t have problems with a converter box.
It’s also unclear how many people own older TVs. Some TVs manufactured before 2005 and all TVs manufactured before 1998 will need a converter.
“It sounds like we're talking past each other and not sitting in a room and talking with each other,” Herrera said, adding he’d love to have a sit-down meeting with city officials.
This switch isn’t related to the broadcast TV switch last summer, when over-the-air TV went digital. Time Warner’s plan only affects its cable customers.
Dave Hendricks covers McAllen and general assignments for The Monitor. He can be reached at (956) 683-4452.
